I have always wanted to check this place out so I found myself a nice November day (who thought I would ever say that) and headed to Arlington National Cemetery to take a little walk around. There are over a hundred national cemeteries in the US but this is probably the best known. Everyone who is remembered in this cemetery have one thing in common: service to thier country. I am told that the majority of those buried here are service"men" however the many women who have contributed to the arms forces are also memorialized here.
This at the main gate to Arlington Cemetery. In behind this section is the Women's Memorial
A view of DC from Arlington Cemetery
This is the Tomb of the Unknowns. I got there just in time to see the Changing of the Guard. They have given them a nice soft mat to march on. It seems they change position about every 60-90 seconds but spend much of it on this black mat. I am sure thier feet and back thanks them for it.
This is the eternal flame at the grave of President John F. Kennedy.
This Nightingale like figure stands as the Nurses Memorial. It overlooks the section of the Cemetery where the military nurses are buried.
This is the gravesite of Joe Louis Barrow also known as The Brown Bomber. He held the boxing heavyweight title from 1937-1949 defending that title 25 times during this time period. Of course he is buried in Arlington not because of his boxing record but because he is a World War II vetern.
This section of the cemetery is dedicated to US Coloured Troops. On the other side of this hill the section is dedicated to residents of Freedman's Village. Freedman's Village was a village that was home to fugitive and liberated slaves during and after the Civil War. Throughout both of these sections you will find a whole lot of tombstones marked "unknown". In the Freedman's village section, the tombstones of both known and unknown persons are marked "civillian" or "citizen" to differentiate them from those with military service. Although the exact location of Freedman’s Village is unknown it did lay within Arlington Estate, which is now Arlington Cemetery. It started as a tent city but eventually grew into a full community with schools, and hospitals and everything else you could possibly need.
Julie
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